Office security is an important aspect in today's workplace, and applies to all aspects of the workplace, including the printing of documents. In a conventional copier or MFP or image forming apparatus (hereinafter, for ease, collectively referred to as “MFP”), when a user wants to print a document or an image, the user sends, by way of a personal computer (PC), a postscript file (e.g., PDL) to the MFP. The MFP receives the postscript file from the PC, and waits for authentication from the user before performing further processing on the postscript file. The authentication is typically provided by the user inputting a user identification (user ID) and password at the MFP. Once the MFP receives the authentication from the user and authenticates the user, the MFP the decodes the postscript file, performs raster image processing (RIP) on the decoded data, and then prints the document.
A problem with the above-mentioned process is that it takes some time for the MFP to perform the needed decoding and RIP operations on the user's document, after having received and performed the authentication of the user, thereby making the user wait for the document to be decoded, processed and then printed.
Accordingly, there exists a desire to speed up the processing of a document to be printed using secure techniques.